Fela Died Of HIV From His Promiscuous Wives, Says Son

Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti has suggested that his father, legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, might still be alive if stricter boundaries had been observed in his marriages.

Seun made the revelation during an Instagram livestream, responding to a woman who criticized Fela for allegedly infecting his partners with HIV, which eventually led to his death from AIDS.

Addressing the claim, Seun argued that Fela was not solely responsible for the transmission of the disease, suggesting that one of his wives may have contracted HIV elsewhere and passed it on to him.

“Fela made many mistakes. One day, I saw a video of a lady online asking why people continue to praise Fela’s legacy despite him giving women HIV and dying of AIDS,” Seun said.

He added, “If Fela were a traditional man, he would still be alive. I will tell you something about him that you might not have known Fela’s women all had other men.”

Seun explained that his father did not restrict his wives’ freedom, believing that just as he was free to sleep with all his women, they should also be free to meet other men.

“Fela did not keep his women to himself. He believed that as he was free to sleep with all his women, his women should also be free to meet other men just don’t bring them to my house. That was my father’s law. And he didn’t leave his house in search of women; he was always with his women inside. They would be the ones to go out and bring it in,” Seun said.

He added, “My father doesn’t leave his house to sleep with other women outside, so it was his women who brought HIV home to him. Nobody is perfect. Everybody makes mistakes. But Fela is a man who is on the side of humanity.”